Lent@Landmark: Day 15

Sometimes you can find yourself cruising along, reading your Bible, and an event jumps out at you that requires a double-take. Consider Acts 18:8-17:

Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” So he drove them off.

Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever. (Acts 18:8-17)

Wait, what? What did Sosthenes do? He’s the synagogue leader—isn’t he on their side? Seems the previous leader, Crispus, was out of the job since he and his family became followers of Christ. Sosthenes is the next synagogue leader mentioned, but he’s only mentioned because his synagogue members start beating him up!

Sosthenes is mentioned one other time in the Bible, in 1Corinthians 1:1-3. It’s the greeting that starts a letter written to the church Paul was visiting in Acts 18, when the beating happened.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 1:1-3)

Seems Crispus wasn’t the only Corinthian synagogue leader to give their life to Christ. Seems that the beating didn’t deter Sosthenes, but perhaps emboldened him to go with Paul on his journeys instead.

What would you do if faith in Christ cost you your safety, your security, or your position of honor?